Denver -- Cranmer Gardens

Object Details

sova.aag.gca_ref5749

GUID: https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb632c8bdf3-0d4f-48d6-8340-98e14caff1d8

General: Originally comprising three acres, this garden was designed to complement an Italianate home constructed in 1917. The site, at 5,434 feet above sea level, commanded a spectacular view of the Front Range, and the planting of trees was restricted to maintain this view. The main flower gardens were located to the east of the 22-room house, and featured a "grande allee" containing perennial borders, container gardens, and pyramidal evergreen shrubs in a formal, classical design. A patio between north and south arcades on the east side of the house featured a statue and fountain with water coursing eastward to another fountain and on to a lily pond. A swimming pool was added in 1922 to the south of the house.; The property was subdivided in 1977, and the present owners have inherited very little of the original gardens. "Their focus in re-landscaping was mostly to the west, reflecting the Cranmers' original idea of keeping mountain views visible. A perennial and shrub border was added on the south and south-east lawn as well as a new allee of deciduous trees on the east lawn. . . . The original stone terrace and fountain were restored, although the statue was lost. In place of the original allee, a new stone terrace and pergola were added."; Persons associated with the property include: George E. Cranmer and Jane Chappell Cranmer (former owners, 1917-1963); Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Kerwin (former owners, 1965-1995); Jacques B. Benedict (architect, 1916); S. R. DeBoer (landscape consultant, ca. 1918); M. H. Hoyt and B. Hoyt (architects, 1922); Elizabeth Metz (architect, 1995-96); and Laurel Raines (landscape architect, 1995-96).

Former owner: Cranmer, George E.; Cranmer, Jane Chappell; Kerwin, William, Mr.; Kerwin, William, Mrs.
Architect: Benedict, Jacques
Consultant: Deboer, S. R.
Architect: Hoyt, M. H.; Hoyt, B.; Metz, Elizabeth
Landscape architect: Raines, Laurel
Provenance: Garden Club of Denver
Collection Creator: Garden Club of America

Place: Cranmer Gardens (Denver, Colorado); United States of America -- Colorado -- Denver County -- Denver

Topic: Gardens -- Colorado -- Denver

Former owner: Cranmer, George E.; Cranmer, Jane Chappell; Kerwin, William, Mr.; Kerwin, William, Mrs.
Architect: Benedict, Jacques
Consultant: Deboer, S. R.
Architect: Hoyt, M. H.; Hoyt, B.; Metz, Elizabeth
Landscape architect: Raines, Laurel
Provenance: Garden Club of Denver

See more items in: The Garden Club of America collection; The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Gardens / Colorado

Custodial History: The Garden Club of Denver facilitated the submission of this garden's documentation.

Archival Repository: Archives of American Gardens

Identifier: AAG.GCA, File CO031

Type: Archival materials

Collection Citation: Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.

Collection Rights: Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.

Bibliography: Garden has been featured in Denver Municipal Facts, September, 1920. Garden has been featured in Denver Municipal Facts, May, June, July, 1926.

Scope and Contents: The folder includes a worksheet, copies of garden plans, a bibliography of printed and unpublished sources about the Cranmers, their house, and the gardens, and photocopies of articles and documents. The gardens are noted not only for their design (the original garden was designed by Jane Cranmer), but because George Cranmer was the founder of Denver's parks and recreation system. Both he and his wife were tremendously involved in the civic life of Denver.

Collection Restrictions: Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.

Related Materials: Cranmer Gardens related holdings consist of 1 folder (12 35 mm. slides)

AAG.GCA_ref5749

Large EAD

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb632c8bdf3-0d4f-48d6-8340-98e14caff1d8

AAG.GCA

AAG

Record ID: ebl-1643208220039-1643210177430-0

1 result(s)

The Garden Club of America collection

sova.aag.gca

GUID
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb617385372-1028-4cb7-b07d-04fea2e51c47

Creator

Garden Club of America

Names

New York Flower Show

Topic

Gardens -- France

Gardens -- Italy

Gardens -- Japan

Gardens -- Mexico

Flower shows

Gardening -- United States -- societies, etc

Gardens -- England

Landscape architecture

Gardens -- United States

Gardens -- Spain

Gardens -- Scotland

Creator

Garden Club of America

See more items in

The Garden Club of America collection

Sponsor

A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.

Summary

The Garden Club of America Collection at the Smithsonian's Archives of American Gardens contains over 100,000 images (lantern slides, 35mm slides, photographs, and digital images) and garden files that document thousands of historic and contemporary gardens (public and private) across the United States. Each garden file includes a range of documentation such as descriptive information, photocopied articles from journals, newspapers, or books, planting lists, correspondence, and/or landscape plans and drawings. These files have been compiled by members of The Garden Club of America (GCA). Some of the gardens in the GCA Collection have been photographed over the course of several decades; others are documented at a single point in time. In addition to images of American gardens, there are glass lantern slides of the New York Flower Show (1941-1951) and trips that GCA members took to other countries, including Mexico (1937), Italy, Spain, Japan (1935), France (1936), England (1929), and Scotland. A number of the slides are copies of historic images from outside repositories including horticultural and historical societies or from horticultural books and publications. The GCA made a concerted effort in the mid-1980s to acquire these images in order to increase its documentation of American garden history. Because of copyright considerations, use of these particular images may be restricted.

Accruals note

The GCA continues to document American gardens and submit images and documentation to the Archives of American Gardens. Further accruals are expected.

Biographical/Historical note

The Garden Club of America was established in 1913 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, when the Garden Club of Philadelphia and eleven other garden clubs met to create a national garden club. Its purpose is to foster the knowledge and love of gardening and to restore and protect the quality of the environment through educational programs and gardening and conservation efforts. The GCA was incorporated in Delaware in 1923, with its headquarters established in New York City. Today, local clubs are organized under twelve regional zones. The GCA continues its tradition of hosting flower shows and publishing material related to gardening in the United States. The GCA's glass lantern slides were used by The GCA for presentations and lectures about notable gardens throughout the United States dating back to colonial times. An effort was made in the late 1980s, in preparation of the 75th anniversary of the Garden Club of America's founding, to collect the disbursed slides. These slides were to eventually form the Slide Library of Notable American Parks and Gardens. The informational value of this collection is extensive since a number of images of the more than 4,500 gardens represented show garden designs that have changed over time or no longer exist. While the majority of images document a range of designed upper and upper-middle class gardens throughout the U.S., the scope of the collection is expanding as volunteers photograph and document contemporary gardens including community and vernacular gardens. The gardens illustrate the design work of dozens of landscape architects including Marian Coffin, Beatrix Farrand, Lawrence Halprin, Hare & Hare, Umberto Innocenti, Gertrude Jekyll, Jens Jensen, Warren Manning, the Olmsted Brothers, Charles Platt, Ellen Biddle Shipman, and Fletcher Steele. Because of their proximity to the gardens, works of notable architects and sculptors may also be featured in the images.

Extent

37000 Slides (photographs) (35mm slides)

33 Linear feet ((garden files))

3,000 Lantern slides

Date

circa 1920-present

Custodial History note

The GCA's Slide Library of Notable American Parks and Gardens was donated to the Smithsonian Institution in 1992; this became the core collection of the Archives of American Gardens.

Archival Repository

Archives of American Gardens

Identifier

AAG.GCA

Type

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Slides (photographs)

Lantern slides

Plans (drawings)

Brochures

Articles

Correspondence

Clippings

Citation

Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.

Rights

Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.

Genre/Form

Plans (drawings)

Brochures

Articles

Correspondence

Clippings

Lantern slides

Slides (photographs)

Restrictions

Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.

AAG.GCA

Large EAD

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb617385372-1028-4cb7-b07d-04fea2e51c47

AAG.GCA

AAG

Record ID

ebl-1562776092361-1562776095300-0